You Are My Sunshine
by MisfitCarter
Summary: When Steve Roger's wife, Jacqueline 'Jack', adoptive daughter of the Wolverine, dies on a mission, he thought that he would never get a chance to hear her voice or see her face again. Fury plays a disc that she left with him, as she often did, as a precaution. The team strips themselves of their pride and sheds their tears together while Jack gives them her final goodbye. (Edited)


The briefing room of the S.H.I.E.L.D helicarrier was quiet. The nine bodies in the room were overcome with immense grief and they all showed it openly without fear of being judged. The two women in the room were openly in silent tears while the seven men in the room hung their heads low in sadness. One, however, could not hide the pain that had bubbled up inside of him from this revelation as silent tears slid down his cheeks.

A tall, dark skinned man with an eye patch, and dressed in all black, stood at the head of the table where six of the members sat. He heaved a heavy sigh of remorse before pulling up a video screen. The others in the room looked to him as he spoke. "Before the incident, Agent Howlett left a video behind," he explained as he placed a disc in the computer. "As some of you may know, she did this before every mission she went on with the Avengers as a, precaution of sorts. She always left these discs with me and it pains to finally have to play this out."

The rest of the Avengers looked at one another. Each of them searching for the comfort they so desperately needed from each other. The only man in the room who stood alone, was Logan Howlett, the agent's adoptive father. His hulking and intimidating figure stood in the doorway to the briefing room with his arms crossed over his barreled chest. His eyes were bloodshot, indicating that he had been crying before he had showed up, and his hair was more untameable than usual. His clothes were disheveled as if he had thrown on whatever he could find in a hurry before being picked up in a quinjet to meet with Fury and the rest of his daughter's team.

Logan felt a pang of emptiness and pain run through his chest at the thought his daughter. She had been a little spitfire from the moment he met her and she had grown to be quite bullheaded. He remembered when everyone at the school had made comments about she was turning into a miniature version of himself. He would always grin with pride at hearing those remarks. And he had so many reasons to be proud of his blunt little instrument. She was strong, smart, brave, loving, and beautiful. As Logan remembered the very first time that his little spitfire had called him her father, the tears finally fell anew as they rolled down his scruffy cheeks in a silent waterfall.

"Before I play this," Fury said in a thick voice, filled with emotion. "I would like to say something about Agent Howlett." He looked around the room and took in the pained faces of the team before looking at his hands and fiddling with the DVD case that she had left the disc in. He then turned his gaze to the Avengers, and spoke. "Agent Howlett, better known by her alias of Wild Card, or to some of us as Rogers, was one of the best damn agents I had ever had the pleasure of working with. When we first got this team together, not a single one of you believed that it would work. But she did. Just as Coulson did. Her sacrifice was not in vain. She died a hero to save the world and the people that she loved most." His gaze went to Steve before moving to Logan, then back to the team. "The memorials that we have for her and Coulson, will never do their sacrifice justice. But, it will honor them as the flames that sit at their memorials, will never die. Just as our memories of them will never die."

The woman that stood next to Nick Fury's right was a tall, lean woman with sun kissed skin that complemented her bright, hazel eyes. She wore the standard S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform and had her arms crossed over her chest in hopes to hid her shaking hands. Her dark hair was pulled up atop her head in a neat bun and her bangs were swept to the side so as to keep them out of her face. As she listened to her superior speak, she agreed on the fact that nothing they did would ever honor her sacrifice. Wild Card was one of her best friends. One of the very few people in this government organization that she could confide in and let loose with. Losing Wild Card, was like losing a part of herself.

Fury turned to the woman and asked her, "Agent Hill, would you please turn down the lights?"

She nodded in compliance as she grabbed the remote from the table and pressed the button in the middle. The widows of the room were darkened so as to block out the sun and the lights dimmed slightly. She then set the remote back on the table before crossing her arms over her chest once more. She could still feel her hands shaking, even after all this time of just sitting in silence.

Fury sighed heavily once more before pressing play on the remote that controlled the video screen. The group sat in silence, waiting with baited breath for the moment that they would see their deceased teammate appear on the screen.

There was static and the video was dark for a moment. They could all hear a shuffling of sorts and muted curses. Suddenly, the darkness of the video was lit up. On the screen was the smiling face of their fallen comrade, best friend, sister, daughter, and lover; Jacqueline 'Jack' Howlett-Rogers. Better known to the public, as Wild Card. Because that is exactly what she was. The team's wild card. Their ace in the hole.

Logan looked at the screen and sadness ripped him apart at seeing his daughter's smiling face. However, he managed to keep the tears at bay once again, for now.

"_Okay,_" the voice of Jack said over the video. "_If you guys are watching this, then I'm dead. And, I'd hate to say it so nonchalantly, but it happens. I mean, I know that I always make these damn videos just in case and you guys all know that. But, it's gotta suck to actually sit and watch it because after every successful mission, I destroy the one I had made beforehand. And that's always the best part. Is being able to look at this damned disc and say, 'Not today, motherfucker!'_" She let out a string of maniacal laughter as she grabbed an older disc and shattered it in her hands with one swift motion. She then let the dust fall to the ground before wiping her hands off on her shirt.

The group all chuckled at Jack's antics. Even from beyond the grave, she could put a smile on their faces in one of their darkest times. That was just the type of woman Jack was. And that was one of the reasons they all had found her so endearing. One of the reasons as to why her death, was tearing them all apart inside.

"_Anyway, you guys probably have no idea as to what I put on these videos,_" she started. She then flipped some of her long, black hair over her shoulder before leaning forward and whispering into the camera, as her face became the only view, "_Well, it's a secret that I can tell you all now._" With her face so close to the camera, the group could make out her heterochromic gaze perfectly. Her right eye was a beautiful, bright blue that matched the color of the sky on a cloudless day. And her left eye, a result of the horrible experiment she had undergone as a child at the ripe age of six, was a deep, fiery crimson. A long scar ran from her hairline, over her eye, and down to the top of her cheek. Her tan skin shimmered from the light that was coming from her right side and her plump lips were formed in a smile.

She pulled away from the screen and sat back against the plain, white wall once more. "_You see, when I make these videos, I only include a very small list of people. At first, it was just my dad, Fury, Hill, Coulson, Barton, and Romanoff. But, ever since I became a part of the Avengers Initiative, that list has grown to include a few more people. Like Stark, Banner, Thor,_" she paused for a moment before a sad smile graced her features. "_And Steve._"

The team knew as to why Jack had given his first name in this long list of people. Out of all them, he had been the very first to break down the heavily guarded walls of her heart. She let him in like no other, and he had given her that same respect. They were lovers, in every sense of the word. He made her laugh and smile more than even Logan could when she was at home visiting him. He held her through the nightmares and cried with her during her last moments as the life left her body for good. Yes, out of all of these people sitting in this room, they could all agree that Steve was in the most pain as he, once again, lost the woman he loved. This time, having watched her die right in front of his eyes.

"_I make these videos that leaves messages for all of you,_" Jack spoke as she leaned her head back. She then looked to her right, the light catching her eyes, and everyone could see the unshed tears that she would refuse to let fall until the right moment. Looking back at the camera, she sniffled before giving a bright, award winning smile. The smile that Steve had fallen in love with. The smile that had Logan wrapped around her finger since the day he had taken her in. The smile that had always held so much reassurance whenever the team was feeling doubtful. "_In these messages for all of you, I, more or less, just tell you how much you truly mean to me and reflect on a few memories that I feel would be fitting to remember in such a dark time. And, even though I'm not much of a cryer, I just feel something off about this mission. Like, I really won't make it out this time._"

The team nodded in understanding. Whether it be to themselves or to the video of the dead woman, they didn't know. But they all felt a slight bit of shock at her words. Hearing that Jack had known that she wouldn't make it, scared them. However, not a single soul voiced their thoughts. They simply gazed at the screen, waiting to hear what their wild card had to say.

"_So,_" she started off, the smile still on her face. "_I wanna start with Nick Fury!_" The dark skinned man looked to the video. He could feel his heart shatter as she said his name, knowing that she looked up to him as more than just the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Jack had told him that she saw him as more than he appears. And she had been right. She broke that shell, only once. After Coulson had died, she had made him break. And she had been the only person in, almost all, of his lifetime to accomplish such an amazing feat. And for that, he respected her.

"_Nick, you're a serious hard ass. In the best way possible._" He cracked a small smile at that. "_The first time I met you was when I was only sixteen. You had come to the school -Professor Xavier's school, that is- so as to take me on as an agent. You had told my dad that it was a way to show mutants that we could all work together. And though I wasn't a mutant myself, you knew that I was accepted as one because of my father and the connections that I had in that community._" Jack paused as she nodded her head in remembrance.

"_I'll never forget the look on your face when you watched me take down four grown men in the Danger Room._" She barked out a loud laugh. "_And the time that I called you an ass hole when you sent me and Nat on some lame ass mission so as to escort -though we called it baby sitting- some clown of an ambassador._" Her smile then grew sad before disappearing altogether. "_But, I still looked up to you. I wanted to be like you, in a sense. Ya know, the kinda agent and soldier that isn't afraid to break protocol and follow what you think is right. But now that I think about it, I guess I was like that. I've thrown standard procedures out the window quite a few times,_" she said with a chuckle.

Fury agreed wholeheartedly with that statement. There had been quite a few times where Jack had kicked protocol to the curb and followed her instincts. She was brave, and in every situation, very smart for doing so. By disobeying the rules, on more than one occasion, Jack had saved dozens of civilian lives as well as those of her fellow agents. And Fury commended her for that.

She then grew quiet and the group watched with pain filled eyes a single tear fell down her cheek. She sniffled before wiping it away with the back of her hand. "_I hope that you miss me, uncle Nick,_" she whispered, using the affectionate nickname that she had given him a few years back. "_Because I sure as hell know that I'm gonna miss you when I'm in Hell!_"

The group chuckled once more at Jack's antics, and Fury cracked a smile of his own. "I'll miss ya, kid," he whispered to himself as he watched her.

"_Now!_" the ebony haired beauty clapped. "_Step right on up here to Wild Card's Paranoid Video Show, Maria Hill!_" Again, more laughter. _"Maria! Babe! You are, fantastic! I know that I'm always telling ya that ya gotta get that stick outta your ass and find a man and get laid and shit,_" Jack said before letting out a bubble of laughter. "_But, I still love you and your prude-ass-self. You've kept me sane when I've felt like pulling out my hair! And you easily became one of my best and most trusted friends._" She nodded her head as she smiled to herself. "_We've had some good times in the years that we've worked together and having you as a mentor and friend meant the world to me. But what meant more to me than anything, was the fact that you allowed me to call you my big sister and accept me and your little sister. That,_" she paused, choking back a silent sob as tears filled her eyes, yet not a single one fell. "_That showed me that you trusted me as much as I trusted you. And that feeling, the feeling of being able to rely on someone who accepts you as family, is irreplaceable._"

Maria stood, frozen in sadness and grief with tears in her eyes as she watched the video play out. She had always had a soft spot for Jack under her hard ass demeanor, and everyone knew it. Jack was the one person that could get Maria to laugh and have fun. She was the one person that Maria could share all of her darkest secrets with, and trust her to keep them as secrets. Jack was so much more than just her friend. And after only working together for six months, Maria had 'adopted' the ebony haired beauty as her sister. And she had felt honored when Jack returned the favor.

Jack let a few stray tears fall before reigning them in. She cracked a grin before saying, "_I remember the one night that we both got hammered! Ha!_" she laughed out. Maria cracked a smile at that. "_I had you buy a whole arsenal of booze! We were so drunk that we argued over who was gonna puke in the porcelain throne. You won and I ended up puking in the sink._" She shook her head with a laugh. "_I love you, Maria. You're my big sister. And I only want what's best for you. So please, go and find what -or who- makes you happy. For me._"

Maria bowed her head as she let the myriad of tears flow freely from her eyes. She knew that Jack had always wanted what was best for her. And now, so as to honor her, she would be taking some much needed time off so that she could find some piece of happiness. She felt Fury lay a hand on her shoulder so as to try and comfort her, but nothing anyone did right now could ease the pain in her heart. Not unless they could magically bring the dead back to life.

"_Brucie!_" Jack shouted happily, after having wiped away her tears. The scientist looked at the video version of his fallen friend and grimaced. He hated that nickname, and that was why she called him that. But now, with her gone, he welcomed it as he knew this would be last he would hear it fall from her lips. "_I was in awe when I first met you. You know that I'm a reader of your work and a fan of the way that you -as Tony would so delicately put it- lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster._" He chuckled at that one. "_But, I think what I loved most, was our talks whenever I helped you in the lab and Tony was absent. You're a fun guy, Brucie. A total sweetheart who deserves a lot more than you give yourself credit for, that's for damn sure!_"

She flipped her hair over her shoulder once again. The smile hardly left her face as she spoke to each person in the room, even as the tears fell. "_Bruce,_" she addressed as all the laughter in her voice disappeared. The man looked into the eyes of the woman on the screen and he felt his heart break at the sadness in them. "_You deserve to be happy just as much as the rest of us do. Hell, if it wasn't for the fact that I'm so heels over head for Steve, I would've chosen you! No offence Steve, you know that I love you, sweetie._" Another bout of quiet chuckles from Jack's spaz attacks. "_Talking with you and working with you, I've learned a lot. And not just about science, but about you. I learned that your favorite color is purple and that you love jazz music. You hate smoking and you love seafood. Your favorite being lobster. I also observed -see, I remember the science-y words you taught me!- that you have a huge heart. And that even though you're afraid of the Hulk, you have, in some small way, accepted him as a part of you._"

Bruce nodded in understanding, feeling the weight of her words. "_The Hulk saved my life, Brucie. And Tony's. Always remember that. Because that's the only way that you're going to be able to really get a lid on that thing. Not bongo drums or a huge bag of weed! Anthony_!" Jack gave a pointed look in the direction in which Tony sat, knowing that all of the team members always sat in the same six chairs. However, it felt empty at the table. The seventh chair -_**Jack's**_ chair- between Natasha and Steve was empty and cold.

Tony cracked a pain filled smile as he looked from the screen to the table. "_I love you, Brucie. You're like the older brother I never wanted, but loved having around anyway. So please, go for it, and be happy. Don't disappear out of their lives. Our talks will be the one thing that I miss the most._"

Bruce wiped away a stray tear and Tony placed his hand on the man's shoulder. They shared a look that was filled with remorse and regret. But, knowing that they all had one another, the entire team, helped to keep them all from falling apart at the seams.

Jack heaved out a heavy sigh. "_I really hope that you're here right now, Thor,_" she spoke into the camera with a soft voice. The Norse God gazed longingly at the screen, wishing that his beautiful little sister were here. But he knew that no force on Midgard, nor Asgard, could bring her back. So, he settled for listening to the last of her bell like voice as it was filled with pain and child like laughter while she spoke to them on screen. Laughter that he himself had joined in on when she was still here.

"_I always found you fascinating,_" she said with a giggle. "_You were always so lively and boisterous and you were always willing to share with me the stories of Asgard._" The smile fell from her lips as she let out a sob. "_I guess I'll never get the chance to go with you and see it._" Thor allowed himself to shed silent tears at this as his heart broke. "_But, at least you got to take your Jane with you. And that way, she saw it for the both of us._" She smiled once again. "_I'm so glad that you have a woman in your life that makes you happy, big brother. She's beautiful and I felt truly honored that you had introduced me to her as your little sister._"

Thor remembered that day well, and it brought a small smile to his thin lips. It had been two months after his victory over Malekith. He had been able to visit Midgard freely so as to keep and eye on Jane and be on call at the Avengers Tower should something happen. His Jane had stopped by in New York and had asked if she could see him. He happily agreed and took her to the tower where all of his friends lived. The first to greet the couple was Jack.

She wore a warm smile on her face as she pulled Jane in for a hug. Jane happily hugged her back, feeling humbled at such a warm welcome. Thor had told Jane that Jack was his little sister before introducing the blonde as his Jane. He remembered the tears that pricked at the corners of Jack's eyes and the radiant smile that graced her features as she felt honored by receiving such a title by the Norse God of thunder.

"_I remember the first morning that you were with us at the tower. You had eaten a whole family sized box of my pop tarts._" She laughed out loud before calming herself down. "_I wanted to be so mad at you for it, but I couldn't. The look on your face reminded me of a puppy being scolded for the first time and I just couldn't bring myself to be upset with you. Instead, I made some bacon and eggs for everyone. I remember you devouring you plate full in seconds before shouting, __**ANOTHER!**_" Another laugh. Another tear shed. Another broken smile. "_I'm going to miss you, so much, Thor. Take care of Jane and tell her that I'm sorry that we won't be able to go to Disney World together. I'm sorry about the loss of your mother. And I'm sorry about Loki's death. I know that he was considered a villain here on Midgard, but he was still your brother._" Jack then grew quiet as she nodded her head, the tears falling freely. "_I love you, big brother. You'll make one helluva king._"

Thor let those words sink in. Hearing her give sympathy to him over his brother's death, truly showed how loving and caring Jack was. Even after his brother had taken from her a great friend and ally, she gave him sympathy. She showed true remorse for his loss. In Thor's mind, and his heart, Jack will forever be his strong and powerful Midgardian warrior. She will always be his sister.

"_Anthony!_" Jack shouted loudly, causing said man to jump. "_Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist! Yeah, Tin Man! I'm talking to you now!_" Tony cracked a grin at hearing the familiar and endearing nickname that she had given him. "_You are self obsessed, rude, and you don't play well with others. But, that's why I love you._" His grin broadened at hearing that. "_Being with Pepper is good for you, Tony. She keeps you grounded and makes you happy. And in turn, that makes me happy. I adore her and I'm so glad that you guys are together._"

Although he knew that she couldn't see him, Tony nodded his head in agreement. "_Tony, although a lot of people will say cruel things about you, I have nothing but good things to say. Even though you show it in a funny way, you're sweet, charming, funny, charismatic, and brave. In the battle of New York, when you took the nuke to the enemies, you showed us all what a true hero is. All of us did._" The team nodded in agreement and Logan gave a small, proud, smile. "_Self sacrifice. That's what it means to be a hero. And you showed us that day, Tony, that you were willing to give your life in order to keep the world, and the people you loved most, safe. And I commend you for it greatly and you have my respect for committing such a brave and selfless act. Don't ever let anyone tell you that you aren't a hero._" She gave a pointed look in Steve's direction, silently reprimanding him for being so cold towards Tony in the beginning.

She then turned her gaze back to Tony. _"I'll never forget the time that you bought me a cake for my twenty-second birthday with a huge sun on it._" She held back a sob as tears filled her eyes once again. Yet, she wasn't alone as Tony was man enough to shed his own tears as he recalled that day as well. "_You all came into my room and woke me up. You lit the candles and sang 'Happy Birthday' to me. I laughed at the cake because it said,_" she paused, unsure of her ability to finish the story as she choked on her tears.

As she spoke, Tony spoke along with her, remembering what he had written on the cake. "_**Happy Birthday, Sunshine. You're getting old!**_"

Another sob as she wiped at her eyes. "_It's getting hard for me to finish these the longer I talk,_" she laughed through her tears. _"But you had always called me Sunshine. It was a nickname that I answered to with pride because you had told me that I was your sunshine and Pepper was your moon and stars, after you called me moody and told me I wasn't so bad. Who knew you were so sweet._" More tears fell as she looked straight at the camera, her heterochromic eyes gazing at Tony. "_I love you, Tin Man. You'll always be a hero in my eyes._"

The screen went black for a moment and the team feared that it was over. The last four in the room, scared that they would never be able to hear their names fall from her lips anymore. However, Jack's face could be seen once again as the screen became alight with color. "_Barton,_" she said, as her face came back into view.

The man looked up from the table and to the screen. Jack's eyes found his, somehow, and she held his gaze for a moment. "_You're a badass, man!_" she said with a bubble of laughter. Clint smiled at that, but said nothing. He feared that if he tried to speak, then the dam that held back his tears, would fail him. _"Dude, I don't see how you're so skilled with the bow. It makes me jealous just thinking about it! I love watching you fight because you're so precise when you shoot._" The smile never left her face as her eyes glossed over. "_I remember begging you to teach me. And I sucked._" Another giggle. "_Even though you told me that I was showing promise, I knew that you were lying to me just to make me feel better. And it worked for a while. Until I accidentally broke the bow you let me borrow._"

Clint smiled at that memory as he ran a hand through his sandy, blonde hair. His hazel eyes clouded over in pain. Jack had come to the archery range and had begged him for days on end to teach her. After hearing her pleas, he consented and had let her borrow one of his older bows. Now, the bow itself didn't hold any value to Clint whatsoever, which was why he was willing to lend it to Jack while he taught her. He had showed her the basics for the first few days before letting her shoot.

She had gotten the hang of it pretty fast, but was a horrible shot. She had always seemed to miss the target by a few inches and grew frustrated. Clint taught her that the bow is a difficult object to use when you rely on only one or two choice weapons for so long. Jack was used to hand-to-hand combat as well as using guns and, surprisingly, swords and knives. If you gave her a bow and arrow and told her to hit the target, she'd miss by a mile. But, give her a throwing knife, and she'd hit the mark each time, never once missing.

Jack's voice brought him out of his memories and back to reality. A reality without his partner in crime. "_I remember holding the bow and pulling back way too hard. The grip snapped in half because I was frustrated and the bow string cut me across the face._" She shook her head, letting out a chuckle. "_I was apologizing profusely while you fussed over the gash on cheek. I don't know who freaked out the most that day, you or me. Either way, it's one of my favorite memories. Along with the time that I made pot brownies and got you high as hell!_" She laughed out loud as she remembered that day, just as Clint did. "_I remember making the brownies for me and Tony, and you stole like, half of the tray! Oh my word! You were blazed!_" A few chuckles from around the room. Her laughter died down, but the smile never left her face. "_Don't ever blame yourself, bird brain._" Clint stiffened in his seat, knowing that she was talking about the time that Loki had him under his spell. "_None of us are mad at you. So, do what I told you to do! Go on vacation! And Barton._" He looked at the screen, at her kind and caring smile. "_I love you, shit bird. Tell them I love them and take care of them._"

Jack looked down at her hands before looking back at the camera. A smirk made it's way across her features as she spoke, "_Nat! You sexy bitch! Step into my office._" The redheaded Russian cracked a grin at that, an inside joke between the two. But she couldn't bring herself to laugh, no matter how badly she wished to appease Jack, though, she knew, that the dark haired beauty was no longer here. "_You are a deadly bitch! That is honestly what drew me to you when we first met. You showed me that you don't have to be a big guy to take a big guy down. And I will forever be grateful to you for helping me further my training in hand-to-hand. We had a lot of good times when we sparred. We would sit and bullshit more than we sparred, but I enjoyed it. It made me feel comfortable and at ease within S.H.I.E.L.D. to know that I had you. You were an amazing friend, Nat._" A few tears filled her eyes, but she managed to choke them back for now. "_You taught me so much about working espionage missions. You were my favorite teacher._" By now, the tears had fallen. And Natasha, unable to hold them back at seeing Jack's tears, let her own slip silently down her rosy cheeks.

"_I'll miss all the fun we had when we had time off. I'll really miss our trip to Greece!_" Nat had to laugh at that one through her tears. That was a memorable trip for them. They had went in on a mission that was only supposed to take forty-eight to seventy-two hours and ended up staying for a whole week. Jack had showed Natasha what it meant to have a friend that you can rely on and how to loosen up and let her hair down. She would forever be grateful to her friend for that. "_The beach was banging that day. All those hotties! Though, both of us only had one on our minds. That was when you got me to admit to you my feelings for Steve. And I got you to open up about something._" She waggled her brows with a secretive grin. "_But, I won't say anything. Even though I'm, ya know, dead_." More amused grins. "_I still say that you should go for it, bitch. And if you don't, then I'll come back and haunt your bitch ass until you do!_" Natasha let out a watery chuckle. Jack then grew serious. "_I know that you're not usually one for sentiment, but I love you, Nattie. You're an amazing friend and partner in crime. It was an honor to fight alongside you._"

Nat looked down at her hands and saw that Bruce had taken them in his much larger ones. The notion was small, but meant a great deal to the two. Knowing that someone was right next to them as they watched this heartbreaking video that contained some of Jack's last moments was comforting. Yet, no matter how much comfort the two offered one another, it was not enough the shake the pain away. Bruce just pulled Nat's lithe form into his side in a sign of comfort. She lay her head on his broad shoulder and welcomed the feel the of his firm chest and the warmth that came with his strong arms around her. Seeing this, would have made Jack happy.

The screen once again went dark, but Jack's voice could still be heard. "_Motherfucker,_" she ground out as she jostled the camera. _"I fucking charged you like, all damn day, ya little shit. Why won't you-_" she cut off as she looked into the lens and smiled. "_Aha! Little bastard! Thought you could out smart me!_" She laughed in triumph as she moved from the camera and plopped down into her spot on the floor against the wall once more. She had a wide grin on her face as she yelled out, "_Daddy!_" Logan whipped his head in the direction of the screen so fast, that he was sure that he would get whiplash. _"First of all, tell everyone back home, that I'm sorry and that I love them, okay? They gotta know, dad. So, don't run off again. That never helps and you know it._" Logan just stared at the screen the contained his daughter's vibrant face. Her eyes were shining with life and he could see her chest rise and fall with each breath that she took. Her skin held it's usual glow and she seemed more radiant on this screen than ever before. "_Anyway dad, I don't really know where to start. I know that you're mad at me,_" she said.

Logan shook his head as he looked at Jack. "No, kid," he whispered to himself. "I'm so proud of you."

Jack smiled. The smile that had Logan wrapped her little finger. "_But, I know you. You'll surprise me by telling me that you're proud of me._" He smiled at how well she knew him. "_Honestly, that was all I ever wanted. Was for you to be proud of me. That means more than anything, to know that I did something to make you proud. It makes me feel like I've accomplished something._" Tears quickly filled her eyes and fell down her cheeks. "_I'm so sorry, daddy. That's all I can say to you. I will forever be grateful to you for taking me in and raising me as your own after you found me. I will forever be thankful to you for walking me down the aisle on my wedding day and being there for me when I almost fell in those fucking heels. Thank you for giving Steve a chance. Thank you for teaching me and caring about me and for loving me like a father should love his daughter._"

By now, every person in the room had tears in their eyes. And not even Nick Fury could hide his. However, they were all in slight shock as tears streamed down Logan's face. Try as he might to stop them, he couldn't. But he didn't care. Jack was his little girl. She had brought out a side in him that he had no idea existed, until she came along. "_You've been my hero almost my entire life. You raised me as your daughter for ten years and continued to treat me as such even after I left with uncle Nick. There aren't any words that I can use to describe to you how grateful I am to you, daddy._" Jack was full blown sobbing by now. Her hands covered her face as she tried to calm down, but found it rather hard. "_I love you, dad. So fucking much. You'll forever be my first hero and my number one,_" she finally managed to breath out.

Everyone grew quiet as they looked at the screen. The heartbroken and shattered look on Jack's face was enough to break down even the toughest of men. And it had. Every person in the room was in tears by now, trying desperately to hold them back so as to give their comrades strength, but failing.

Logan looked at the screen with longing. Jack said nothing for a few moments. She just cried. Watching his daughter break down, tore Logan apart like it never has before. He's faced some of the world's greatest threats without batting an eye. Fought in a bar against men twice his size with no fear. But, when he saw his daughter cry, no matter how old she was, Logan fell apart. His heart would leap up into his throat and he would feel anger at the fact that someone could make his girl cry. He would feel her pain as if it were his own. And right now, Logan felt a pain in his heart that he had never felt before. A pain that he wouldn't wish unto even his worst enemies.

Logan felt the pain of loss. The pain of losing his child.

Finally, Jack had managed to compose herself enough to breath deeply before looking back at the camera. However, as soon as her eyes peered out at them, they were soon filled with tears again as they landed on Steve. And though the video was pre-recorded, the blonde haired, blue eyed, super soldier felt as if she were standing right in front of him, telling him goodbye once again. And in a way, she was.

"_Steve,_" she said in a soft voice. He could feel the love in her voice as she spoke his name and his eyes were already starting to water over once again. But he didn't give a damn. This was his wife talking to him. His wife, the love his life and the center of his universe, giving him her last goodbye. "_I'm sorry, sweetie,_" she said with a frown as tears trailed down her cheeks. Oh, how he wished he could wipe those tears away like he used to. "_I am so sorry, love, that this is the last thing that you'll ever hear from me. It kills me that this is my final goodbye to you._"

She sniffled, but the tears still fell. "_We've had a lot of ups and downs in our life, soldier. But, I wouldn't have traded what we had for anything in the world. Not even a chance to live again. Because a life without you, Rogers, isn't much of a life at all._" Steve's eyes glossed over with fresh tears as he listened to Jack. "_I know that dealing with me was never easy, but you took it in stride. You dealt with the nightmares and the PMSing and the dorky references and everything else that comes with being me. You loved me unconditionally, Steve. And for that, I will always be thankful._"

She then grew quiet for a moment. "_I have so much that I wanna say to you,_" she finally spoke, her voice soft and hoarse from crying. "_But, I know that no matter what I say, it won't take away the pain and the hurt. No matter what I say, I will never be able to describe how much I fucking love you, Rogers. How happy I was when you asked me to be your wife and how amazing our honeymoon was._" Steve waited for a comment from Tony, but none came. "_Captain, you were always my hero when I was the occasional damsel. You've always been there to catch me when I fall. So Steve, please, try to be happy again. Even if it's with another woman. For my sake, soldier. Please._"

Steve shook his head in defiance, knowing that was one thing he would never be able to promise his deceased wife. He could never find another woman like Jack. She was far from the type of girl than what everyone thought he would end up with. She had tattoos and she cursed like a sailor. She was brash and honest to the point of blunt. She was loud and outgoing and charismatic. But, she had a heart of gold and a sweet smile. He would miss waking up in the morning to her nude form laying next to his with their bodies entangled together in the sheets. He would miss her charm and wit. Her smile, laugh, and bright outlook on the world. But most of all, Steve would miss the love that he and Jack shared.

"_I don't know what else to say to you, soldier,_" she said in a quiet voice. "_I can't even put it into words. But then again, no words need to be said, save for three._" She paused as tears rolled down her cheeks and falling onto the grey, cotton shirt she wore. "_I love you,_" she choked out.

"I love you, too," Steve responded in kind, his own tears sliding down his cheeks.

Jack pulled herself together as she spoke once more. "_I have just one last request,_" she said in a pained voice. "_Remember how you all sang '__You Are My Sunshine'_ _for my birthday?_" They all nodded to one another. "_Will you all sing it with me again?_" She grew quiet once more before she started the song. "_You are my sunshine, my only sunshine._"

Tony was the first to chime in. Followed by Bruce, then Thor. Fury and Hill even allowed themselves to join. "**You make me happy, when skies are grey.**"

Next was Logan, knowing that it was Jack's favorite song, along with Barton and Natasha. "**You'll never know dear, how much I love you.**"

As they choked on their tears and held back sobs of sorrow, Steve finally joined in. He sang along with the final line, just as Jack's voice had began to die out for the final time, taking his heart with her. "_**Please don't take my sunshine away.**_"


End file.
